This website uses cookies to ensure a better browsing experience; in addition to technical cookies, third-party cookies are also used. To learn more and become familiar with the cookies used, please visit the Cookies page.
By continuing to browse this site, you automatically consent to the use of cookies.

Czech Republic

The Czech Republic’s contribution to the theme of the Universal Exposition in Milan, which is: “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life”, is keyed on its long-standing agricultural tradition of food-production, as well as its ground-breaking research into biochemistry and nano-technology with special reference to respect for the environment, human and animal health, not to mention food safety.

The Czech Republic’s pavilion makes special reference to Water, which is not altogether surprising, since the country features three important rivers, the Elbe, Oder, and the Danube, as well as a number of thermal springs, such as Karlovy Vary (Karlsbad) and Marianske Lazne (Marienbad). The country also boasts many impressive swimming pools constructed in the 1930s.

Last but not least, the Czech Republic is a world leader in water-purification technology.

Re-stating the Water theme, and the most eye-catching aspect of the Czech pavilion, is the splendid pool that links it to the Decumano, the main avenue where the national pavilions are located. This impressive open space also includes a bar, where visitors can sample a Pilsner Urquell, the world-renowned Czech beer.

Set inside the pool and welcoming visitors to the pavilion is a sculpture by Lukas Rittstein. The rear-half a shiny automobile, the front-half a bird with spectacular plumage, the work represents the co-existence of technology and nature, and conveys a stark reminder: as it hurtles courageously towards the future, humankind will always be a passenger, with nature in the driving seat.

Outwardly, an eye-catching interplay of volumes, the Czech pavilion provides the setting for two major exhibitions. The Laboratory of Silence recreates a mixed Czech forest, with real trees, complemented by robotic projectors that interact with the visitors, beaming detailed images of the trees in question onto the walls of the exhibition hall.

Meanwhile, in the Laboratory of Life, nature comes under the microscope. The exhibition examines the genetic codes of a number of agricultural plants that were unraveled by Czech scientists. On the walls are large-scale artistic renderings of the codes. A multimedia presentation illustrates cells and biological processes, while a large sculpture of an animal recalls Czech success in the field of veterinarian medicine. Completing the picture, a low-energy use research lab.

The Czech Republic pavilion is not just an exhibition space, but also an experience that does not end with Expo Milano 2015. The winning proposal from the duo of young architects Chybík + Kristof, offers a pavilion on a plot of 1,362 square meters, using Koma modules that provides a system of progressive construction. The challenge of using recyclable materials and the incorporation of the surface water in the structure has resulted in an eye-catching pavilion. On the ground floor there are shops and a restaurant; on the first and second floors, exhibitions; and on the roof, a garden measuring over 350 square meters: a true "laboratory of life."

Expo Milano 2015 passes the baton to the next Universa; Exhibition to be held in Dubai in 2020, from October 20 to April 10 2021. "Linking Minds. Create the Future ": The discussion on the future of food will go to the one on sustainability, opportunity and mobility.